The Ivory Alchemist: Souls of Silence
by gilraenstar
Summary: "You see,the first time you were here…I took from you the wrong thing-so I'll give it back in the form of a gift. But," He says, once again smiling heartlessly."I've come to know that some times even the best of gifts…can have the most terrible of affects
1. Prologue

_Hi_ everyone! here's the next story of The Ivory Alchemist series. If you haven't read the first one (simply titled 'The Ivory Alchemist) go do so please!

Otherwise this will make no sense! 

_But_ if you happen to be a reader who has read the previous tale, I'll ask you to sit back and enjoy- please excuse how incredibly short it is, but that's how most prologues of mine turn out- leave a review on your way out! It would be much appreciated and would encourage me to update soon. VERY soon :D :D :D

Thanks for Reading and ENJOY!

love,

gilraenstar

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><p><strong><em>The Ivory Alchemist:<span> Souls of Silence<span>_**

Prologue

Skye remembered the feeling of being pulled apart bit by bit all too well. No…it wasn't like that. Pulled wasn't the right word. More like _torn_ apart bit by bit.

And she dreaded every second of it. _Maybe it was too much this time, _She thinks to herself. _Maybe…I might not even make it to the gate…_ The pain increases ten fold, and she whimpers. When it doubles again and the last bit of her is ripped from the real world she can't help it.

She screams out silently into the pure whiteness. She thinks no one hears her, but is proved wrong. She looks up, breathing heavily, and sees the first gate.

_"Oh? Looky here!"_

Skye spins around, and catches sight of the other, larger version of the first door, and then she sees the dark, shadowy outline of a human. She grimaces at a realization. In this state of truth, her vision remained when it was taken the first she attempted transmutation. Now that she was in this realm… she had regained her ability to see.

_"One of my frequent visitors!" _says Truth with a wide grin.

"You know what I came for." Skye replies fiercely.

Truth ignores her demand, and keeps talking. "_In fact, another of my favorite visitors stopped by today! And for the last time too!" _His grin widens, splitting his face in half in a distinctively inhuman way.

"What do you want Truth?" She asks, stepping forward and holding her arms down at her sides, fists clenched. "Take anything. Just give him back," She begs.

"_Ahh… you want to try the game of God again?" _Truth can't help but laugh sardonically. A vision of her fiancé dances across the whiteness, a memory from her past.

"Not him," She says simply. "Edward. Give me his soul, and you can take anything." She doesn't realize she is crying until she tastes tears on her chapped lips. "You can take _everything_…"She whispers softly.

_"Take?"_ The white figure snorts. "_Oh, now why would I take from _you_ my darling?"_

Skye snaps her head up and narrows her onyx eyes.

_"Actually,_" Truth continues, standing slowly. "_You've caught me in a rather good mood. I'll give you Edward back…and I'll also gives you something else too, and take nothing." _Truth held up one white arm and his hand uncurls, revealing what he had been holding.

Her eyes widen and she gives a tiny gasp. Hovering above the palm of the one many call God, was a shimmering gold form. It shifted shape, and held no single one for more than a second. It seemed like a mix of a liquid and a solid the way it took on it's odd forms, but not really more like one or the other.

"Edo…" She whispers, reaching out toward the little golden soul. He floats over to her whether he knew he was or not, and dances above her head as if happy to be leaving.

_"You see...the first time you were here…I took from you the wrong thing." _Truth says as he sits back down in front of the large gate, "_But_," He says, once again smiling heartlessly, _"I've come to know that some times even the best of gifts…can have the most terrible affects."_

Everything goes black.


	2. Chapter 1

_Hi there! Thanks for sticking with me everyone! Anywhoooo, this chapter was kind of a bitch (excuse mah French) to write, so sorry if it seems choppy. I've been working on it since, like, noon.  
><em>_Soooo, since I didn't really get to ask earlier... how was your vacation guys? get any writing/ anime watching done? I know I did- finished a new anme called Angel Beats! if you like Clannad go check it out, cus its AMAZING!_

Weelllllllll, then. How about an extra long chapter to make up for the short prologue? ^-^

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><p>Chapter 1: I Gave You All<p>

_He was shivering._

_ Because it was cold or because he was scared? He couldn't tell anymore. Everything felt odd and muted, as if a giant blanket had been thrown over the world and was slowly smothering everything._

_ Edward wasn't sure where he was—it just felt like he was floating among the pure whiteness, unable to move on his own, much less get away._

_ He struggled to open his eyes, and found even that task was too daunting for him._

_ He let himself float for a moment longer, then tried expanding is mind outward, feeling for anything, anyone who might be there to share the eerie light with him._

_ The mind he came in contact with wasn't human, and he shrank away from it immediately, trying to pull his mind out before he caught its attention._

_ Too late._

_ The thing snapped back at his mind before he could protect himself, and he winced as it felt like something stabbed into his thoughts._

The torture lasted for maybe a minute before the thing pulled back abruptly and whispered venomously, "You have escaped me…but next time…"

Ed's eyes snap open and he sits up with a gasp, breathing harshly in the darkness. Was that just a nightmare…or was it something more…?

"Ed." He heard someone say softly. "Edo…"

"Skye?" He mutters back, blinking wearily. He stands shakily, using the wall as a guide.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, and he could tell they were in some sort of dungeon like place, only a small window allowing them any light, and even that provided little if any.

_It must be sometime around dawn or twilight_, Ed realizes slowly, as he call out again, "Skye…where are you?"

"Here." She whispers.

Ed spun around and strains to catch sight of her.

He grimaces and with shaky legs stumbles over to where she is chained to the wall with both arms shackled above her head uncomfortably. She took quick rasping breaths, and Ed realized that she would slowly suffocate if she stayed like that.

"Are you okay?" He asks quickly, as he touches his palms together and uses alchemy to free her ankles first of the heavy chains.

"Are you?" She asks, avoiding the question. Her hair hides her expression from view and Ed struggles to understand what she is getting at.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You died." She whispers softly. Tears streak down her face and fall to the floor silently, glistening in what light shone through the dark. "You were dead, Edo…"

"You…brought me back?" He whispers, frozen in place by shock. The memories rush back into his mind all at once and his eyes widen. "Skye. No. You shouldn't have…" He stumbles back, tripping and falling to the ground. "No! You could've gotten yourself killed!" He shouts hoarsely.

"I had to. I couldn't…I couldn't lose someone else…especially not you…"

"You can't do that Skye!" He says, "You can't bring people back! Not me, not anyone," Angry tears build up in his eyes and he can't keep them from falling. "When people die, it's absolute! You keep moving forward, no matter what, even if I die!"

She stays silent, refusing to even lift her head so he knows she's listening.

"Why do I matter? I'm nothing. People die, and I'm no exception. Why would you bring me back, why not your fiancé?"

Silence.

"Skye, what did Truth take from you?"

"Nothing," She mumbles.

"You could be dying, now tell me!"

She repeats, "Nothing, Edward. He didn't take anything."

Ed makes a frustrated sound and runs a hand through his tangled bangs, and says again, "Why me? Of all the people you could've possibly saved, it had to be me. Why?"

She mumbles something brokenly, but Ed can't understand her. "What?" Ed asks, wanting to hear her answer.

She wrenches her head up and truly looks at him for the first time. Her onyx eyes glisten, no longer clouded and unfocused. Skye stares into his golden eyes, unbelieving of how they match exactly the color of his soul.

Ed's eyes widen as he slowly realizes she can actually see him. "Why…?" He repeat, unable to say anything else. But he's afraid…

He's afraid he already knows the answer to that.

"Because…" She murmurs, "Because I love you."

(*FMA*)

Riza was beyond tired. So much had happened during the day. She and Roy had been sifting through personal files all day…belonging to both the Ebony Alchemist Leonard Keyes and Skye Mustang...

Neither had been prepared for what they found.

Both Skye and Leo had been awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for valiant efforts on the battlefield, each wounded more than twice.

They had made a good team- that much was evident from all of the reports and honors they had received.

Roy notes in bittersweet tone that his daughter of only nineteen has nearly the same amount of awards and medals as he does.

Riza has to pull Roy physically away from his desk and work.

Mustang has a tendency to avoid work, as everyone knows, but when he is stressed or worried, he uses the work as away to keep himself at a distance. He would sit at his desk until the sun had fallen then leave as it rose the next day, only to return an hour after leaving as he was unable to sleep.

But Riza would get him to rest, even if it meant dragging him away forcefully.

And it seems it has come to that.

"Roy, come on…"

"I'm almost done," He yawns, rubbing his eyes and reaching toward the next stack of papers.

Riza snaps them up and places them out of his reach. He glares up at her.

She ignores the hostile look and stares into his eyes pleadingly. "Please Roy. I know you're worried. Skye and Edward are going to be _fine_.

Roy looks unconvinced.

"Come on," She says, taking him by the arm and pulling him to his feet bodily. He was heavy and unwilling, so he stood balanced for maybe a second before tipping forward and landing on Hawkeye, who let out a loud yelp.

Their noses nearly touch and now Riza can distinctly smell the alcohol lingering around him.

Obviously he had been drinking when no one was looking.

Now Riza was practically kicking herself. She should've noticed this earlier—but she hadn't allowed herself to get to close, less they are suspected of a relationship that could them both fired.

"Roy," Riza says firmly.

"Hmm?" He says grinning stupidly. He was obviously liking the position they found themselves in.

"Roy, you were drinking."

"So?" He mumbles, still smiling like an idiot.

"Sir, you shouldn't drink while at the office."

He frowned at her formality. "It's after hours. My shift ended hours ago." His words slurred together

"Then let me take you home."

"No," He pouts like a child and doesn't move, keeping her pinned to the floor easily.

"Roy." She tries again, wriggling beneath him.

"What?"

"Please get off me. You're heavy."

He blushes and moves slightly, but still won't allow her to get up.

Riza lets out an irritated sound and finally lets her anger get the best of her. She slaps Roy on the back of the head as hard as she can from her place on the floor, and he howls in pain, jumping back away from Riza as she scrambles to her feet.

"Owwwww…Riza, why'd you do that?" He asks tearfully, rubbing the newly forming bump on the back of his head.

"Let's go sir. You shouldn't drive intoxicated." She grabs him by the hand and pulls his right arm around her shoulders to support him.

"I swear to drunk I'm not God." He says truthfully as he and Riza stumble out the door together.

"You don't believe in God, sir." She reminds him.

"Right…. yeah, hehe." He hiccups at his mistake and sways to the left nearly making Riza drop him the floor.

It takes ten minutes to get outside, then an extra five just to get situated in the car.

"Can I drive?" Roy asks slowly, trying to keep his words from running together.

"No." is Riza's simple yet nonnegotiable answer.

The drive is relatively silent, other than Roy and his unintelligible mumblings. Once or twice Riza could've sworn she heard Roy mutter something about ripping a certain blonde alchemist limb-from-prosthetic limb.

She gave a small smile and kept her eyes on the road.

When they pulled up to her apartment, Roy presses his face to the window and stares up uncomprehendingly. "Where're we?"

"My apartment," She answers, getting out of the car then going to help him get out from his side as well

The stairs were a challenge. For every four they got up, Roy nearly fell down twice, and once they did, luckily only crashing down five steps before they became too tangled to keep going on mere momentum.

Riza gave a sigh of relief when they reached her door, and she struggled to get her keys from her pocket. She would have to get Roy to stand on his own.

"Roy." She says, shaking him gently. His head lolled back and he mumbles something. Riza notes his eyes are closed and he's drooling.

_The bastard fell asleep!_ She thinks incredulously. She could only wonder how much he had drunk. Usually Roy had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol. _And he managed to do it while everyone was there._

Very carefully, she set Roy in the closest corner, making sure he wouldn't fall, then rolled her shoulders. God, he was heavy.

Digging in her pocket, she found what she was looking for and put the appropriate key in the lock, turned it, then pushed the door open. She flicks on the lights, and sets down her bag on the dining room table as she goes around turning on lights and picking up the occasional book she had left lying out.

A loud thud from outside her doorway nearly scares her half to death.

She rushes out, her gun drawn.

Riza doesn't see anyone. Not until she looks down.

Roy moans, lying face down on the floor. He had fallen from his spot in the corner, his balance compromised.

Riza can barely contain her laughter. She giggles almost hysterically as she drags him once more to his feet and pulls him into her apartment.

Carefully arranging her very drunk superior on the couch proves to be somewhat easier, and she goes to her small kitchen, planning on making some tea for herself.

"Roy, would you like something to drink? Or some food?" She asks politely. Even at one in the morning she's at the top of her game.

"How bout a beer?" He mumbles into the couch.

"No, sir. You'll have a terrible head ache in the morning as it is." She answers. Riza seemed to have to say no a lot today, and yet Roy continued to be stubborn.

"Pwease?"

"No."

He gets the hint and drops it, lifting his head to watch her prepare a pot of water and set on the stovetop to boil.

"I'll make you some tea, too, if you'd like," She adds.

"M'kay…"  
>The next ten minutes is nearly unbearable. The pure silence is as loud and deafening as a car crash, though in a much different and more concerning way. It was almost embarrassing, though Hawkeye had no idea why.<p>

When the water boils and the pot starts to whistle half heartedly, Riza finally regains her ability to talk

"You should take my bed," Riza says quickly as she stands to finish the tea.

"Nah, I can't kick you out."

"It's fine, really."

"I can't intrude like that-."

"Sir," She interrupts, "No offense, but you already have sort of intruded by being drunk and making me bring you home with me."

Roy pouts and whimpers like a puppy.

Black Hayate tilts his head at prone colonel, padding up next to him silently. He licks Roy on the cheek happily, before trotting off to go back to sleep.

"Here," Riza says, reappearing beside Roy as he fumbles to wipe the dog spit off. She holds a mug out to him, which he takes thankfully.

"I'm going to go get my room ready for you." Riza calls over her shoulder.

"You should sleep in there with me."

Riza freezes.

"I mean, we wouldn't do anything…" Roy calls out carefully. "We can even put a barrier between us.

She tries to say no once more, but she can't convince him otherwise. He has his mind set. So she put three pillows between them. She doubted it would help in the slightest.

I don't think the wall of Briggs would keep you from cuddling me like a teddy bear.

(*FMA*)

Skye gasps and lets her head fall again, mentally kicking herself. She'd just said that…out loud?

Never in all of her days had so easily admitted she loved someone. She hadn't said those three words to Leo until they had been dating for nearly a year and now…now she just let the words escape like she was just saying a simple hello.

Ed's eyes were wide in the semi darkness. As the sun rose slowly outside, she was able to discern little details she never would've been able to before her visit with Truth.

She notes how he had kept his hair in a loose braid, and realizes that his hair is also that same gold.

"Skye…"He whispers. "We could never…be anything more than…friends." What? What is wrong with you Edward? You love her back! Tell her. TELL HER! He pushes his alternate thinking away.

"I don't care! I don't care if you hate me, but I love you!" She yells bitterly. "I love you, Edward Elric, and no one can make me change my mind!"

Ed breathes in. He has to make a choice. To tell her, or not to tell her.

"Good…" He finally says. She lifts her had to stare at him, confused. "That's good…because I love you. I love you too, Skye."

(*FMA*)

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><p><em>lol, nice place to leave ya off on huh? Hahahahaha<em>

_I am SOOOOOO evil!_

S_ome notes—_

_1 Anyway, how about that royai fluff in there? *winkwink nudgenudge * that was for you cometdragon ;) hope you liked it girl! :D :D :D :D :D_

_2 Hahaha, well, moving on-, the title of this chapter came from my fav ever band. A cookie and sneak peak to the next chapter if anyone can figure out the name of the band ;)_

_3 Yes, Skye is no longer blind but the irony of her regaining her sight is yet to come my dearies! Muahahaha! This is not as pointless as it sometimes seems!_

_4 if you like royai, go check out my other fic called Collecting Rarities. it's really just a way to get out some writing relief when i can't work on y more stressful stories * cough cough like this one * it's sort of a crack fic, meant to funny and fluffy :D enoy and leave a comment if you check it out :D :D :D_

_Well, I hope you liked it!_

_I'll try to update again this time next week or earlier!_

_Enjoy and review plz!_

Love,

gilraenstar


	3. Chapter 2

_Here's your Valentine, from me to you. Love ya all!_

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><p>Chapter 2: Awake My Soul<p>

Riza had been right.

Regardless of the two pillows they had placed between them before they went to bed, Roy was still tangled around her, trapping her in his arms until she could wake him up.

If she yelled loud enough she could probably get him up, but he needed to sleep off the alcohol still in his system. And Riza had never really dealt with a drunken Roy before—this was sort of a first.

Roy moans and rolls over—right on top of her. She lets out an undignified squeak before she can stop herself. "Roy!" She gasps. "Get off!"

He grumbles something and cracks an eye open blearily.

"No."

Riza shoves him away as hard as she can from her weird and awkward angle and Roy rolls away, and falls to the floor with a thud. He moans and doesn't get up.

He starts snoring once more.

Riza lets out a frustrated sigh, and thanks god they don't have work today.

Because there's no way she's going to be able to get up.

(*FMA*)

They are in Xing. Of that much Skye is certain.

But just from the tiny glimpses of the open sky she can't really discern which part of Xing, which could be crucial in case they were to make an escape.

And from the way things were going now she was determined to get away, even if that means taking any chance.

Skye hadn't seen Edward for two days, and that worried her immensely. They had originally shared a cell, but had been separated not to soon after they…well, confessed.

She yanks almost without thinking at the chains keeping her uncomfortably on the floor. Skye would've been able to stand had she not earned a particularly nasty cut on her thigh, making her left leg unable to be her weight. The chains gave her a circle with a radius of about three feet, but she was almost too tired to move. She wouldn't be able to reach the doorway or the tiny window anyways, so why bother.

She would wait.

And she would earn her chance of escape, eventually. But not in the way she anticipated.

Rough arms drag her to her feet and she gasps awake, not even realizing she had been sleeping. The chains on her ankles and wrists are released, but she doesn't allow her palms to come together to do a transmutation. She needs to find Ed before she can make her first move.

They, being two burly bald men, don't allow her to walk—they just drag her along like she weighs that of a feather and say nothing. They ignore her completely.

Skye doesn't like the light. So long she's been in the darkness, so long she's been unable to see anything but black…the first thing she saw after this long time of sightlessness as Edward Elric, and he shined so bright she almost felt blinded again, just by seeing his pure gold eyes.

She misses those eyes.

As they pull her through the dank gray and black stone hallways, she sees no one else, and wonders if Ed was still even down her—she certainly couldn't hear him, and from her slightly muffled chi, she couldn't really sense him either.

"Got a big job for ye today," Says the one man holding her. She glances up at him in surprise, then looks to the other, wondering if he would say something. The other bald man on her left stays silent, still looking ahead blankly.

"What kind of job?" She asks, grimacing at her rough voice.

The man winks. "You get te go up te the surface, girlly."

Skye's eyes widen, dark orbs sparkling. "The…surface?" She whispers.

The man nods. "As does the other boy you are with…"

"But why?" Skye questions, pursing her lips. Townsend wouldn't send them somewhere where they could potentially escape. So what was he planning on doing.

"You'll have to let him explain, I've already said a bit to much," He admits. He lifts her up and allows her to stand on her own feet, and then opens the door in front of them for her like she were an honored guest instead of a prisoner.

(*FMA*)

Ed wasn't sure what to think—the clothing they had given him was much different then what he normally wore.

He assumed it was traditional Xing styled tailoring, but wasn't sure. The fabric itself was a dark black, embroidered with gold and red thread to create the image of two dragons entwined together, circling over his shoulder and most of his back. The pants were of the same black, a similar design trailing up one leg. The slipper like shoes that went with it were comfortable, and he didn't mind those. A bright gold sash was tied around his waist. At first he thought the long piece of gold cloth might have been a scarf, but remembered the heat and realized that a scarf would be a rather pointless thing to own in the desert-surrounded country, that was beyond hot as hell.

"Ah," says Townsend, smirking. "You look as if you are really from Xing, Edo-chan,"

"Isn't it disrespectful to call someone by their first name when you don't know them?" Ed snarls. He knew a little of Xing and it's cultures, but he had been smart enough to study it for a while before they set off here, and knew that it was indeed disrespectful. And he didn't like the fact that he was using Skye's nickname for him either.

"Oh, I hardly think it matters," Townsend takes a seat on the floor, setting a steaming mug of tea on the low set table beside him. "See, here we are. You, under my captivity, unable to control your own destiny. I'd assume you've tried to use your alchemy?"

Ed scowls and doesn't answer—of course he had. But it kept slipping away from him, like a granite orb coated in slick oil that he just couldn't hold on to. Every time he tried to access that feeling of power it ran just out of his reach. He wasn't sure what they had given him to take away his ability, and he assumes grimly that Skye was the same way—powerless and confused.

"So Edward, I have a very important question for you."

Ed stays silent.

"Why are you not dead?"

A knock at the door saves Edward from answering, and it opens, revealing a tattered but relatively unharmed Skye Mustang.

"Ah, Miss Skye, wonderful of you to join us!"

"What do you want with us?" Skye growls lowly, obviously not in a very good mood. She steps closer to Edward almost unintentionally, brushing against him gently as if to make sure he is really there.

"Well, I'm holding a formal event for the Emperor and his sons—I have many connections and one of them happens to be the ruler of Xing himself- and I need someone to supply the music."

Edward glances to Skye, eyes flickering with concern.

"What do you want me to play?" She asks stiffly, avoiding her captors' eyes.

Townsend smiles, knowing she would have no choice but cooperate. "I have many instruments. You may pick any of them, or all if you like. I need you to provide the music for the entire event, and if you do so with no attempt of escape I might allow you to have a piece of information pertaining to your friend." He bows his head toward Edward.

"What kind of information are you referring to?" Skye asks slowly.

"One of paramount importance." Cade smiles evilly. "Information on the stone.

"The Philosopher's Stone."

(*FMA*)

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><p><em> Ahhhh, I apologize million times over for my long hiatus—consider yourselves lucky—usually when I go on a hiatus for a month the story I ignored never gets finished XD<em>

Well, information for this chapter—

#1 in the fma universe, many influential countries are represented. Xing is china, Amestris is germany, Drachma is Russia, so on so forth. So the way I write about Xing will be heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese tradition.

#2 Skye is no longer blind. Just reminding ya!

#3 The reason I was gone so long—two animes—D. Gray-Man (I luv you Lavi!) and La Corda d'oro (Hihara is awesome!) In fact La Corda d'oro ( its a lot of classical music in it, so if you like classics, watch it, its great) was so great, it inspired me to take up a new instrument. That's right. I love Kazuki Hihara so much I'm going to learn trumpet.

#4 No one guessed my favorite band, so I'll give you another week to figure it out! The hint is the title of the chapter!

#5 I started a D. Gray-Man fic. If you like Lavi and Kanda (not as a yaoi pair) go check it out! :D

I will continue to update this, though I might not do so as often as before my hiatus. Since I'm learning a new instrument, its gonna take up a lot of my time

But I will not give up on this story!

So REVIEW!

Love,

Gilraenstar


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